Jacob Kiplimo returns to defend his Chicago Marathon title, but can he break two hours without Kejelcha and Sawe pushing him like they did in London? Michael Doyle and Jessy Carveth break down the full 2026 Chicago Marathon elite field: the men's race, the wide-open women's field led by Brigid Kosgei and dark horse Sharon Lokedi, the American record chases on both sides, Galen Rupp's masters record bid, and their bold winner predictions.
Chapters:
0:00 Intro: previewing the 2026 Chicago Marathon elite fields
1:05 Can Jacob Kiplimo run sub-2 in Chicago?
3:10 Men's elite field breakdown (Kiprotich, Mengesha, Mateiko, Takele)
5:15 The Nike Alphafly 4 shoe story
6:58 American men's record chase: Hicks, Maury, Clayton Young
9:10 Galen Rupp's masters record bid
10:13 Women's elite field: Brigid Kosgei headlines
11:00 Why Sharon Lokedi could be the real favorite
14:30 Hellen Obiri, Ruth Chepngetich and the tainted world record
16:30 American women: Sarah Hall, Des Linden chase the masters record
19:41 Susanna Sullivan and the top American storylines
20:57 Predictions: women's race winner
22:57Join Marathon Handbook’s RunClub for access to our members-only podcast, training plans, community rooms, merch and more: https://marathonhandbook.com/runclub
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👉 Tell us in the comments: does Kiplimo run sub-2, and who wins the women's race?